Signs of helplessness in managing Bengaluru’s rapid growth are becoming more conspicuous. One of the most glaring are the missteps in disposing of the 6,000 tonnes of garbage generated daily. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has seemingly given up on finding ways to effectively manage the waste. Senior BBMP officials have asked citizens to manage their own waste—a troubling development further compromising effective disposal. This seriously questions the inspiring statement, ‘Government’s work is god’s work’, inscribed on the ramparts of the Vidhana Soudha, the nerve-centre of the Karnataka government.
Experts lament that the BBMP has no control over its contractors, who are accused of holding the city to ransom and working like a mafia. Bengalureans are mandated to segregate waste at home before handing it over to garbage collectors. But the contractors mix it to increase weight and get heftier cheques from the BBMP, which pays them on the weight of garbage lifted. Besides, a majority of BBMP pourakarmikas or sanitation workers are on contract and are often paid late by the contractors, leading to frequent protests.
So garbage disposal in what is perceived as the most global city in India has become a sham. The city has just one landfill and a sprinkling of waste processing units that are either unauthorised, dysfunctional for technical reasons, or affected by citizens’ protests against having them in their vicinity. Bengaluru may have been adjudged the most liveable city in 2024 with a score of 66.70 on the ministry of housing and urban affairs’ Ease of Living index that assesses Indian cities on the quality of life and efficacy of urban development initiatives. But it needs to go a long way to make it actually liveable.
There are other systemic issues at play. There have been no civic elections in the city since September 2020, mainly due to ward denotification and reservation, issues that are in the courts. The BBMP is governed by an administrator who directly reports to the state government. But much can still be done. The urgent need is to ensure strict surveillance of contractors to keep the waste segregated, increase the number of authorised wet waste processing units and ensure the proper use of landfills. The IT City of India has no other options but to streamline its waste disposal system and protect its reputation.